Just got this 68 C30, questions

[unbrokenchain]

Newbie here, thanks for your patience. I've worked on and owned many vehicles but never a Chevy besides a 95 van, 20-series. I'll start out with the background and get to the questions.

Bought this truck from a friend who never used it... he had loaded it up for a dump run and then left it alone for a year or two. I drove it home in the pictured condition today after putting a different carburetor on it and bypassing the old gas in the tank (the ol' tie a can of gas under the hood and carry a fire extinguisher trick...). Spent the rest of the day getting rid of the junk and washing the truck, didn't take after photos yet. I do landscape installations for a living and am preparing to restore my log-cabin house here in Asheville, so I'm definitely looking at this beast as more of a tractor/workhorse than a classic or looker, but that said if it works well I'd love to get the body right at a future point in time and make er pretty. Right now I just need it to haul though. And I'm sure it will once I get some kinks worked out, that first gear is about right for pulling oak stumps...

The I6 engine is supposedly a 250 out of a later Chevy. The ~68 monojet that I put on it has two vacuum fittings - one for the distributor, and the other? To the fitting on the coolant line at end of valve cover and then to the exhaust gas device? If so, which goes on top and which on bottom? The carb I took off had 4 vacuum fittings, but they were all plugged besides the distributor line. Pics to follow.

The truck had some major wiring issues (the harness that goes under the steering column was nearly melted in two...) and did not charge the battery while running. Instead of troubleshooting everything I'm just starting from scratch - I've removed most of the old wiring intact and begun installing this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-GM...-/131579061374 It seems straightforward, but I'm a little confused about wiring the alternator (or generator, how do I tell the difference by looking?). It has a new external voltage regulator similar to the one on this camaro forum http://www.camaros.net/techref/elect..._regulator.htm
but my question is, the wiring kit comes with an "alternator excitor" wire. Should this be connected to the brown wire on the voltage regulator?

Also, brake lights... glad I had my friend follow me home. What is the connection on the bottom of the master cylinder where the brake lines are distributed? I assume it must be the brake light switch since I don't see one anywhere else but I fully don't understand how it works.

Thanks a bunch, more photos soon and plenty more questions.

[toolboxchev]

The brake lights are wired through the turn signal switch so when that goes bad so do the brake and tail lights.

Looks like a work horse, still craving to prove!

Somewhere on this site is accurate wiring diagrams, it will show you what to do, Chevy wiring is pretty simple one you get over the shock of it!

[Aus69c20]

I'm pretty sure the connection you mention on the bottom of the master cylinder is for the brake warning light. The brake light switch is up under the dash near the top of the brake pedal.
As for the alternator there is plenty of info and diagrams on the site. Vettevette has posted a lot of easy to understand diagrams. Test your alternator if possible and if it's no good it maybe easier to run a 3 wire internally regulated alternator. Given that you're rewiring anyway.

Hope that helps.

[unbrokenchain]

Here it is after getting the junk out of the back and a wash. Have got her running off her own fuel tank and charging (just tossed the old alternator and voltage regulator for a one-wire). Today I'm hoping to get the lights working (found the brake light switch thanks Aus!), then it'll be off to the muffler shop, change all fluids, and I'll have a usable truck!

Anyone know how to make, or where I can get a cheap air cleaner for the monojet? I tried to take a photo of the vacuum fitting I was talking about, it's the plug on the left of the carb (in photo) while the distributor fitting is below the fuel inlet. Where is this supposed to be routed?

Again, this is first and foremost a workhorse so I'm not too worried about looking pretty yet, but I still have to ask... at what point are body panels too far gone? I have rust above the windshield inside (about where the visors are mounted), looks like somebody just bondo'd new rockers over the ones that rusted out, and the cab corners are rusted through in a few spots. Think the cab could be brought back to life? Fenders seem easy enough, just bolt new ones on.. Anyway this thing is freaking fun to drive... first gear is totally useless without a load, I bet I could make it wheelie though maybe...

[In The Ten Ring]

What a great truck! I love the bed-mounted crane and I see you are using it to lift a solid uranium flamingo. Those are rare finds themselves and I sold my last few to some Iranian guy.

[cooperhw]

Very cool story and truck. I am in for another 1 ton. I also have a 68 1 ton dually cept. mine is a hacked up short bed step side. Called Homer in the projects and builds.
I really like yours. A truck that looks like a truck, meant to be a truck, and in the hands of someone who plans to use it as a truck. Yeah.

[Xeen]

Congratulations on the purchase of a Chevy truck.
Owning a truck meant for work means higher expenditures on maintenance because the harder you work a machine the more maintenance it requires.
First order of business is to evaluate the actual true mechanical condition of the truck and then make a plan of attack for repairs.
This list should be broken up into different levels of priority.
Fix Immediately: Items with extreme wear that are clearly failing.
Fix soon: Items that show wear and are in the process of failing.
Fix Later: Items that show slight wear and still function as intended.
Once you complete this process you will know exactly what you need to do to get the truck to the point where you can start using it for work reliably.
On a motor that old with unknown miles you may want to perform a compression test before you do anything else to get a feel for the condition of the internals.

[unbrokenchain]

Thanks for the support y'all, loving this thing. And I like the way you break it down Xeen, order of importance/priorities. Had the day off due to rain, so I pulled the cab into my garage and got all the lights working (including running lights, no burnt bulbs even!). All the wires under the hood are new, the only ones I left intact were the rear lights. So now I have everything except windshield wipers - having trouble wiring these, from what I've gathered there is always 12v to the wiper motor and the switch grounds one or both leads for different fan speeds? I put a new universal ignition switch in the truck, so I'm trying to wire them up without running through the ignition harness. I tried it out with jumper wires but couldn't get the motor to turn, maybe it's shot. Not planning to do too much hauling in the rain, but would be nice to get them working.

I was lucky enough to get two sets of wheels and tires with the truck, so the dry rotted super farm treads that are on there will be swapped for the road tires which are in much better shape.

It seems like there is a little bit of inbalance in the brakes, it pulls slightly to the left but the truck stops very well if you nail the pedal. First major money into the truck will be a disc conversion and all new lines, for sure. I drove a school bus (not mine) to Colorado and back earlier this summer and I'm still trying to figure out why little cars get discs but big trucks get drums?

Oil change, check. Next coolant, transmission, and differential. Let's see how big of a mess I can make..

And if anyone knows where to find anymore uranium flamingos, I'm almost ready to haul them away!

[michael bustamante]

if you can see thru the panal,,,,its time to replace

[mike16]

kind of cool in a utilitarian sort of way. the bird things a bit weird.but I'm diggin it.

[Xeen]

Front Disc will dramatically change the way the truck stops and will remove any worry or doubt of whether or not you will be able to stop and any time you can reduce your anxiety during driving is a good thing that's for sure, so I agree that should be your first upgrade.
You should be able to pick up a known good windshield wiper motor fairly easily from some of the guys who have a small Chevy truck yard locally, look on craigslist for anyone who is selling multiple 67-72 Chevy truck parts or parting them out and of course you can find it here on the board in the classifieds section.
I'm curious, what engine was the truck was born with?

[unbrokenchain]

Yeah I feel fairly confident with the drums riding unloaded, but there are some pretty steep mountain roads around here and I'd be a little nervous with a heavy load, though the crazy gearing does make for good engine braking.

The build sheet says it originally had a 293. Where should I look for a code to verify that the one in the truck is indeed a 250? It seems to run really well, no smoke or top end noise, timing seems right without adjustment. Hopefully I'll get plenty of miles out of it, but out of curiosity, will any of the v8s bolt up to my transmission?

Gotta get a front bumper too, debating as to whether or not to get an original one (which after searching around looks like it will take $50 and a 2 hour drive or so), or just fabricate something.

My buddy is still looking for the title, hopefully don't have to order a new one, but I've been cruising the backroads and can't wait to get it legal. It's like driving a big tractor with a windshield and a bench seat.

[Xeen]

Yeah a v8 will require different engine perches but that's no problem you can get them all day here on the board.
Chances are if the guy said it's a 250 then it's a 250, that was the low horsepower fuel sipping I6 and under powered for this application so if a guy was going to fib he would fib up not down.
It was born with the biggest I6 available that year, lots of torque, a real stump puller.

[unbrokenchain]

Make that a factory 292, not 293, don't know where the extra ci came from... The 6 that's in it though seems to run really well. We'll see if it will make enough power for what I need. I have a mechanic friend who is of the opinion that 6 cylinder engines run longer because slight compression changes don't affect the balance dynamic as dramatically as a v8. I like that 350 parts are every freaking where though, but maybe I'll eventually put a 292 back in it.. Not too sure about it, but I'll run this engine as long as it lasts. Got the brakes working right (thought they were sticking, turns out the pedal stop was dislodged and preventing full brake pedal return, shoes look brand new, adjusted a little and stops great now, still going to do discs eventually though... Got turn signals (wired in an old Signal Stat, the original setup was broken), now just need to swap tires and some fluids. Whew. This thing rocks.

So about the rust where the sun visors mount... to bondo or not to bondo... ? Obviously need to fix where the water gets in, assuming rain gutter, but hmm.. Not sure whether to go about trying to fix this cab or just let it go and swap it out eventually (shrugs).